1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic simulator for hydraulic turbines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic simulator for simulating the working characteristics and/or parameters of turbines, whether or not provided with a speed regulator and/or a penstock.
2. Background of the Invention
A simulator is an apparatus whose main function is to determine how a given apparatus will react in real time, without having to construct the actual device. Another function of a simulator is to analyze, in an inexpensive manner, a given apparatus. In the present case, a turbine which may be provided with a speed regulator and/or a penstock is the focus of the simulator.
Theoretically, it is possible to provide a specific simulator for every turbine desired to be simulated, or for each new turbine. In that case, the particular parameters of each turbine can be permanently programmed into the simulator as they will remain constant. It is also possible to provide a specific simulator for the penstock and speed regulator of each turbine.
However, it becomes economically disadvantageous to provide a simulator for each turbine or associated component thereof which it is desired to simulate.
A need exists for an universal simulator which will permit an investigator to determine the operational characteristics of various types of turbines with a single apparatus. The design of such an universal simulator should be optimized inasmuch as it will be used for simulating various installations employing various types of turbines and because high accuracy is required.
In order to provide accurate and useful results, a simulator should also take into account the fact that the relations between the various characteristics of a turbine are not linear.
In most prior art simulators, turbines, speed regulators and penstocks are treated as being linearized around their operating point. These simulators do not take into account the nonlinearities in the operation of a turbine. Such simulations thus generate results of limited accuracy and usefulness.
Alternatively, if one tries to develop a mathematical model of the water flow inside a turbine and takes into account all the factors that scientific thought can muster, the results are so complex that they are unusable. In fact, the hydrodynamic equations at which one can experimentally arrive can only be solved when studying a turbine around its operating point. These equations cannot be solved when the turbine is operating far off its operating point and it is therefore necessary to proceed either to experimental observation in order to determine the inner working of the water turbine or to study a scaled down unit while incorporating in the study certain empirical corrections to validate the results for the real turbine. In this regard, it may be noted that a static model developed for a turbine, when not taking into account the hydraulic ducts effect, can also be validly used as a dynamic model, because the dynamic working of a turbine is very close to the static working of the same turbine.